Operating out of the historic Bicentennial House, the West Virginia UniversityPress is growing its tradition of excellence by selecting and publishing high quality works of that include fiction and nonfiction, scholarly journals, and music. The Press is currently working on “Hippie Homesteaders: Arts, Crafts, Music and Living on the Land in West Virginia” by Carter Taylor Seaton, to be published in April 2014.

“Hippie Homesteaders,” set in 1960s Vietnam-era West Virginia, follows young people who seek the natural offerings of living off the land. Supporting themselves and their communities through cooperative living, eating, selling, etc., these artisans and musicians built a culture rich in the arts and music, and a movement to live off the land. The movement led by these young “hippies” started a culture change in the state, leading to the creation of Tamarack, a profitable venture highlighting the state’s fine arts and artists, and Mountain Stage, a live musical show broadcast around the world on NPR for 30 years.

The WVU Press takes great care in choosing books that will represent the University and the people of West Virginia. Despite facing the challenge of a small staff and a booming for-profit publishing industry, the WVU Press has worked to highlight the beauty of Appalachia and the talent of its people.

While many university presses are struggling to adapt to a changing publishing environment, WVU continues to present beautifully crafted physical books in addition to digital resources. The WVU Press strives to produce high-quality books and give life to the stories within, representing viewpoints and voices that are rarely heard.

Anyone interested in making a contribution to offset the cost of printing “Hippie Homesteaders: Arts, Crafts, Music and Living on the Land in West Virginia” may do so by visiting the “support” tab on the WVU Press website and following the instructions, or by contacting Amanda Dymacek in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences to request more information about making a major gift or including the WVU Press in estate plans.